It IS Hallowe'en
by reddwarfaddict
Summary: The really late hallowe’en fic. With raging infernos, car crashes, Rose collapsing, out-of-body experiences and voices in the Doctor’s head forewarning them both of horrible events in the future, could it all just be happy coincidence? DoctorWhump.
1. That Voice In Your Head

**A/N: **Disclaimer: No, non, nuh-uh, negative, never ever never ever ever never ever, nowt, nadda...how many more words d'you want for 'no'?

Okay, picture this. It's Hallowe'en. All the trick or treaters are at the door; you're hiding in the sitting room with the lights off pretending you're not home; you're watching Scream (or Scary Movie, depending on how much you can take); the Christmas carollers are singing their songs (badly); the presents are under the tree...

Sorry, got a bit confused, there.

Yes, it's Hallowe'en. Believe it. Really. Just get in the mood. Then read.

* * *

Chapter 1 – That Voice In Your Head

The Doctor was over 900 years. 900! That was approximately 860 years more knowledge than her, 860 years more _experience. _860 years older than that woman yet he still knew that ultimately, she held more power over him. Jackie Tyler. Forget _him_ dealing with alien lifeforms, set Jackie Tyler on them instead. They would run screaming. He did his best to avoid the Tyler Household for both their sakes now, as any confrontation they had instantly escalated off of the scale.

He glanced sideward at Rose, feeling the grip of her hand in his as she bounced along happily beaming from ear to ear. They progressed up the stairwell and moved along the balcony until they reached the front door of Jackie's flat. Suddenly the Doctor stopped dead in his tracks, pulling Rose around to face him with his hands resting on her shoulders.

"Rose, I just want you to know that whatever happens in there, I will never forget you."

Rose stared at him, incredulous. "What d'you think my mum's gonna do? Eat you?" she joked, but the Doctor looked 100 percent serious at the prospect.

"All I'm saying is that she'll have anything with ketchup."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she fobbed off, turning back to open the front door. The instant she stepped in she was enveloped by a humungous hug from her mother, after which she watched in amusement as the Doctor received the same greeting.

"Stupid alien, you! Draggin' off my daughter wherever you please!" she said, which seemed to slightly contravene her clamping hug. Finally she pulled away and moved back towards the kitchen, Rose in tow.

"I'm starvin'!" Rose moaned, moving towards the fridge and reaching inside, picking out a pork pie from a tray. Her mother seemed to have an addiction to these. Cramming it into her mouth she turned back towards the Doctor, paused, then turned back and took another from the tray. "Want one?" she offered through a mouthful of food.

The Doctor resisted the temptation to laugh at her. "Nah, thanks. Never could stomach pork pies."

"Your loss," she commented nonchalantly, cramming the second one into her mouth and swallowing it all down in one go. The Doctor briefly wondered just how in the Universe she could eat so much at once.

_The vase._

He was startled by the voice suddenly in his head and he turned to look at Jackie and Rose, wondering if maybe they had said it. No. They were too deeply immersed in a conversation about pork pies. The vase? What va…his eyes caught the solid glass vase on top of the cupboard opposite where he was standing, wondering if _that _was the vase.

_Watch the vase._

'Okay,' he decided in his mind to this foreign voice, 'I'll watch the vase.'

_Watch the vase. _It repeated, slowly and clearly.

His eyes flickered back to Rose as she bounced past him through the doorway, making towards the sofa. Jackie called out to her, "Rose sweetheart, you stayin' tonight?"

Rose stopped, accidentally knocking the cupboard next to her as she turned back around to meet her mum's gaze. The Doctor watched, almost in slow motion as the glass vase atop the cupboard slowly began to rock, almost teasing him about falling before it finally completely unbalanced, toppling over the side and straight for Rose's head.

"No!" he yelled, diving forward and pushing her out the way just in time. The glass vase hit the ground with a loud 'thud' as they both hit the floor, showing its solidity when it didn't even break. The Doctor quickly checked Rose, lying awkwardly beneath him. "You okay?" he asked, and she nodded, stunned.

Shakily, he pulled himself to his feet. Jackie and Rose watched him in shocked silence as he made back over to the vase, picking it up in both hands to judge its weight and do a quick calculation in his mind. That weight at that velocity…it could've killed her. If that voice hadn't spoken in his mind…

"What the bloody 'eck…?" Jackie began, looking between the vase in the Doctor's hands and Rose getting back onto her feet.

"He just saved my life," Rose surmised, terrified and elated both at the same time. "How did you know? It all happened so fast!"

The Doctor blinked, unsure of what had just happened. "I…heard this voice…it told me to watch the vase so I did…then that happened."

There was a brief moment of silence whilst they all took this in. Finally, Jackie was the first to speak:

"You're a bleedin' nutcase, you are!"

"Yeah?" the Doctor shot back, suddenly defensive, "who keeps a bloomin' solid glass vase on top of a cupboard where it's likely to fall off?"

"Don't argue," Rose suddenly interrupted, feeling a bit weak at the knees, "the Doctor just saved my life, mum."

"I know sweetheart but…"

And then Rose collapsed.

Jackie screamed in surprise as the Doctor dropped the vase and launched forward with lightning-quick reactions, catching her in mid-fall. Jackie ran forward, watching the Doctor's face as the manic grin he usually sported suddenly disappeared, replaced by a look of sincerity and concern.

"Doctor what's happened?!" she demanded to know, fear plain in her voice. "Please help her!"

"Jackie get some cushions," he ordered. She instantly obeyed. He whipped off his trenchcoat and threw it over the girl, trying to keep her as warm as possible. Jackie ran back with cushions as the Doctor lifted her legs, placing the cushions beneath them.

"What're you doin'?" Jackie asked anxiously, kneeling down the other side of Rose.

"Increasing the blood flow to the brain," he answered quickly; reaching up to check she was breathing correctly.

"What the hell've you been doin' to my daughter?!" Jackie suddenly turned on him, looking just about ready to slap him. The Doctor ignored her, too concentrated on his task.

"C'mon Rose, wake up…" he murmured softly to her, "for me?"

She didn't stir. He gave her a quick scan with the Sonic, but no readings came through to suggest alien intervention. He placed his fingers under her jawbone and tilted her head back, pushing down on her forehead to make sure the airway was clear. He had to get her help. Earthen help. He knew a fair bit about human physiology (possible more than they did at this point in history) but he'd feel a lot more comfortable with her in a hospital, surrounded by constant care and attention.

"Jackie, call an ambulance," he commanded the woman, to which she instantly rushed off to the phone.

It took five minutes for the ambulance to arrive, and by then Rose still hadn't regained consciousness. The paramedics praised the Doctor on his response and he stepped back next to Jackie to let them do their job, who by now was crying quietly into her hanky. The Doctor gathered her into a hug of reassurance, before leading her down to the street below where Rose was being loaded into an ambulance.

"Go with them, Jackie," he said quickly, guiding her towards the ambulance. "Go with Rose."

"Come with me," she begged, refusing to let go of his arm. The Doctor shook his head, catching the looks of the paramedics eager to be off.

"No, Jackie. There's not enough room. Go with Rose and make sure she's okay. I'll find Mickey and we'll be along later, okay? I promise."

After a few moments she nodded, and the Doctor jumped out of the ambulance before the doors slammed shut. Then with the screeching sound of combined wheelspin and sirens, the ambulance had disappeared into the distance.

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Mickey Smith was far too absorbed in Halo 3 to bother even registering the knock at his front door. Besides, who knocked at his front door now anyway? Rose used to, but now she was off on some far distant planet covered in candyfloss with _her _Doctor. He focused his attention on smashing his opponent with a Gravity Hammer.

_Knock, knock!_

It was louder this time. As Mickey got the last kill of the game and topped the board with most kills for the twentieth game in a row, slowly and lazily he dragged himself onto his feet and made his way to the front door. What he saw when he pulled it open completely stunned him into surprise.

"Doctor!" he exclaimed, "what're you-"

"No time Mickey, where's your car? We need to get to the hospital!" the Doctor said quickly, charging into the flat straight into the kitchen, hunting through the piles of rubbish for car keys. Mickey followed and opened his mouth to retort but the Doctor cut straight over him, "Rose is there!"

"What?! What 'appened?!" Mickey demanded to know, tossing a couple of used socks carelessly across the room, picking up the car keys beneath and leading the Doctor out the front door.

"She fainted in the flat. I don't know why, she just did okay?"

"Where's Jackie?" Mickey asked as they crossed the road towards his car, waiting in the midday sunshine.

"She went with her," the Doctor replied as they both got into the car, Mickey starting up the engine.

"Is it anythin' alien?"

The Doctor shook his head as Mickey started up the engine, and they began to move. "No, I don't think so. I couldn't get any alien-related feedback from her after the collapse." He sighed, resting his head back against the car seat. "If it is alien it's made itself completely in tune with her body, but that's very unlikely."

Mickey nodded. "What 'ospital did they take 'er to?" he asked, signalling to turn left out of the avenue onto the main road.

"I thi-" the Doctor never got any further, as suddenly the sound of screeching brakes rang in his ears and he whipped his head around just in time to see the shocked face of the other driver as she smashed straight into them, and suddenly the world was spinning.

The Doctor and Mickey were long since rendered unconscious as the car rolled over and over, world continuing to spin for several seconds before they finally came to an abrupt halt with a loud smash as they hit a wall.

When people arrived to help seconds later, there was no movement from inside the collided cars. Several minutes later the paramedics arrived, only to confirm the death of two adult males, one adult female and a small boy in a tragic car accident.

* * *

**A/N: **That is SUCH a cheap cliffhanger! Shame on me! (Slaps hand)


	2. Is There A Doctor In The House?

Chapter 2 – Is There A Doctor In The House?

Rose woke up, and screamed.

Her mother who was sitting next to her got quite a start, jumping five foot out of her seat in surprise. Rose gasped, panting for air as the nightmare she'd just had came flooding back to her with horrifying clarity. The Doctor and Mickey…plus a little toddler and his mother…all dead in a stupid accident that could've been easily been avoided. But then again, if it was all a dream… She blinked back tears, before suddenly realising she wasn't in the flat. She was in a hospital. And that meant it wasn't a dream…

"Mum!" she turned to her, struggling to get out of bed. "Where's the Doctor? Where's Mickey?!"

"The Doctor's comin' sweetheart," she answered calmly, pushing her back into bed. "He's just getting a lift from Mickey, he'll be here soon."

Rose's eyes widened. "NO!" she yelled, "no, no, no, no! Where's a phone?! I need a phone!" she pushed Jackie forcedly out of the way, wrapping the blanket of the bed around her and making towards the ward phone. Heart in her throat she pushed past everyone standing in her way, eventually reaching the payphone. It was then she realised she didn't have any change.

"Mum," she turned back, begging her mother, "please, I need to phone them!" Tears were forming once again. Jackie saw this, frowning for a moment before finally producing some change from her pocket. Rose thanked her, shoving the £2 coin in before hammering in Mickey's mobile number, thanking God she still knew his number off by heart.

* * *

"…We need to get to the hospital!" the Doctor said quickly, charging into the flat straight into the kitchen, hunting through the piles of rubbish for car keys. Mickey followed and opened his mouth to retort but the Doctor cut straight over him, "Rose is there!"

"What?! What 'appened?!" Mickey demanded to know, tossing a couple of used socks carelessly across the room, picking up the car keys beneath and leading the Doctor out the front door.

"She fainted in the flat. I don't know why, she just did okay?"

"Where's Jackie?" Mickey asked as they crossed the road towards his car, waiting in the midday sunshine.

"She went with her," the Doctor replied as they both got into the car, Mickey starting up the engine.

"Is it anythin' alien?"

The Doctor shook his head as Mickey started up the engine, and they began to move. "No, I don't think so. I couldn't get any alien-related feedback from her after the collapse." He sighed, resting his head back against the car seat. "If it is alien it's made itself completely in tune with her body, but that's very unli-"

Suddenly Mickey's phone started ringing, cutting the Doctor off in mid-flow. Mickey threw him the phone and the Doctor answered it, unknown number on the screen.

"Hello?" he asked as Mickey signalled to turn left out of the avenue onto the main road.

"_Doctor!" _It was Rose!

"R-Rose?" the Doctor stammered. "Wha…?"

"Rose?" Mickey asked, suddenly stopping the car momentarily as he looked to the Doctor in surprise.

"_Stop the car! Get out! Run!"_

The Doctor frowned, puzzled. Mickey had recovered now, starting to move again. "What…?"

"_LOOK RIGHT!!" _Rose screamed down the phone, so loud even Mickey could hear it. Suddenly the sound of screeching brakes rang in their ears and they whipped their heads around just in time to see the shocked face of the other driver as she clipped the front of their car, sending both cars spinning in several circles before smashing into their respective closest walls.

"_DOCTOR!!" _came Rose's screams from the dropped mobile phone, the only sound in the car over the underlying shouts of bystanders and car alarms. _"DOCTOR!! Please, answer me…please…"_

Groaning, the Doctor pushed himself to sit up and fumbled for the mobile phone left abandoned on the seat. "Yeah I'm here," he said after he'd pressed it to his face. The sigh of relief that followed this on the other end of the line was huge.

"_I thought I lost you…" _she breathed, and the Doctor could easily hear her stifled sobs. _"Are you okay?"_

He coughed slightly, dabbing with his fingers at some blood forming on his forehead. "Yeah I'm fine. Right as snow…err, rain." He turned to Mickey. "Mickey? You alright?"

He winced, straining through obvious pain. "I think I…broke my arm…" he gasped.

"Okay, can you move?"

He paused, and then nodded. The Doctor grabbed some spare blankets placed conveniently in the back of the car, guiding him out and forcing him to sit down on a pavement leaning against a wall.

"Try not to move it," the Doctor ordered, examining Mickey's arm. It wasn't open – there were no bones jutting messily out. "You've been lucky," he said with a grin. He wrapped the arm in the spare blankets he'd found, propping it up on the convenient low wall. "Keep pressure on it, and keep it elevated. It'll reduce the swelling."

"_Doctor, in the other car there's a woman and a toddler…"_

The Doctor didn't waste time on asking her how she knew this. "Okay, I just need to phone an ambulance…" he said, getting up and jogging over to the other smoking car in the distance. He couldn't see any movement.

"_No, please stay with me…" _Rose begged, _"I never wanna lose you. I'll get an ambulance."_

When people arrived to help seconds later they found a man with mild cuts and bruises already tending to the wounds of a mother, and another man with a broken arm comforting her small son. Several minutes later the paramedics arrived, but found they had no deaths to report.

* * *

Rose was discharged from the hospital later that day, along with Mickey. They couldn't find anything wrong with her so put it down to the shock of the glass vase incident when the scans told them nothing of any possible illness.

Rose explained to the Doctor in detail what she'd dreamt but he could find no plausible explanation for it, asides that Rose mentioned the fact it _was _Hallowe'en, "maybe the spirits are like, makin' me see the future, helpin' me to prevent events. Like they spoke to you and saved my life…" The Doctor didn't believe her in the slightest, of course.

She said she felt fine now, but that didn't stop him from giving her a quick once over in the TARDIS Infirmary. Not that he found anything.

She fussed over his bruises and cuts, making Mickey feel a bit neglected with his broken arm. Soon it was nightfall and the Doctor, although reluctant to leave Rose, retired to the TARDIS to let Rose take a night back in the flat.

So he was completely surprised when halfway through the night he was awoken by a girl calling in his ear. He yawned, stretching widely and turning over in his bed and opening his eyes.

And paled completely.

_Save her. Save her. Save her. Save her. Save her._

The writing was all over the wall in a deep, blood red. He let out a cry of shock, pushing himself out of the bed and onto two feet, disbelief filling him at the words on the walls.

_Save her! Save her! Save her! Save her! Save her!_

The blood writing was getting brighter, almost burning into his eyes. Screaming at him to do something. Who the hell was doing this?!

_SAVE HER! _The writing demanded, getting bigger and brighter and more terrifying by each passing second. _SAVE HER! SAVE HER! SAVE HER!!_

Her? Rose? Was Rose in danger? The writing definitely seemed to think so, anyway. Was this another premonition? He pulled on a shirt and some trousers, running out of his bedroom door and through the TARDIS. He burst out of the double blue doors, looking up towards the flat where Jackie and Rose dwelled.

It was on fire.

* * *

**A/N: **Y'know these people just can't get a lucky break. I'm mean and nasty. GRR!!

(Okay, done being weird now)


	3. Save Her, Dammit

**A/N: **Muahahaha! Buuuuuuuuurn! (Ahem) I'm not mental, really.

* * *

Chapter 3 – Save Her, Dammit

Neighbours were screaming loudly, most of them having just gotten out of bed. He could hear sirens, but they were incredibly distant. Without thinking he burst into a run, flying out the stairs towards the burning flat. He pushed through the milling crowds and got to the front door, hammering on it desperately.

"Rose! Jackie! Can you hear me?!" he yelled through the door, but if they were conscious he doubted strongly that they could hear him. But like a miracle he heard a voice, muffled but clear enough over the fire.

"Doctor!" It was Jackie. "I can't get to Rose, I think she's been hurt! The door's stuck! Help me, help me please!"

"Jackie can you get to the front window?" He remained calm, hoping she'd get the vibes off of him.

"It's all burnin'…"

"Jackie I need you to get to the front window. I'll be waiting there for you, okay? Go!"

He was aware of all the eyes of the watching crowd following him, filled with awe and trepidation. He moved over to the window, wishing he'd remembered the Sonic as he tried in vain to slide it up. Just a bit more…just a bit…

Something cracked, and it shot open. The Doctor ducked his head inside, suddenly engulfed with smoke vapour and the heat of the blaze. He could see a figure moving towards him, so he offered out a hand.

"C'mon Jackie!" he yelled, "I've got you!"

Seconds later he was pulling the woman out through the window, several people moving forward to help him. When she was finally out he knelt down next to her, helping her to sit up.

"Save Rose, please Doctor…" she gasped through hyperventilation. The Doctor nodded, suddenly decisive.

"Look after her," he said to a bystander, and they nodded. He turned back towards the window, suddenly daunted by the amount of smoke and light of a blaze that came out. He wasn't a fool. He knew there was more chance of him dying in there than there was of him saving Rose.

But he had no choice. The fire brigade still hadn't arrived; they definitely wouldn't be here in time to save Rose…

_Save her._ He could see it in the smoke; the same words as on the wall. A sign.

He took a deep breath, and then climbed in.

The searing heat was probably bad enough to burn without even contact. He dropped to the floor, crawling forward through the burning room towards the door, towards Rose's room. He called out for her in the desperate hope that she'd answer from close-by, having found a way out and to safety. He got no such blessing.

He reached Rose's bedroom door, coughing and spluttering and still calling out her name. But…was that a reply? He strained to hear, hovering near the door.

"Doc…" she coughed, again, and again, "…tor…" more coughing.

"Rose!" he called back, reverting to his respiratory bypass system to communicate with her easier. "I'm here! Can you get through the door?"

"N…no…" she choked, "it…it's…" then she fell quiet. The Doctor's eyes widened, listening hard for any sound.

"Rose?! ROSE!"

He pulled himself to his feet, trying desperately to push the door inwards. He rammed it with his shoulder, kicking it again and again in desperation to enter. It wouldn't budge.

"ROSE, TALK TO ME!" he yelled, "ROSE!"

The door was stuck, fast.

What was he going to do?!

He span back around, searching the room for any kind of help. His eyes finally rested on a fallen piece of metal infrastructure lying on the floor. He grabbed out, crying out in agony as the white-hot metal burnt through his skin. He drew it back, aimed for a weakened-looking section of the wall, and used all his strength to hit it.

It collapsed, leaving a gap in the wall.

He dropped the metal implement and clambered clumsily through the wall, feeling the burns still eating away at his skin. He searched for Rose, eyes finally locking on a small unconscious figure in the corner, surrounded by cascades of fire.

He was just about move forward when suddenly something high above him cracked, and he turned just in time to watch the wall he had just smashed his way through fall straight onto him. He cried out, trying to move but having nowhere to escape to as it totally collapsed, and he was left lying helpless beneath the weight, groaning in agony.

"ROSE!" he yelled once again, tears pouring down his face. He couldn't move. _He couldn't get to her! _After all they'd been through, Gelth, Slitheen, Daleks, Cybermen…it wasn't supposed to _end _like this!

He finally realised the ironic nature of this situation. Rose was burning, just like Gallifrey. Only this time, he would burn too.


	4. Out Of Body, Out Of Mind

**A/N: **After a lot of debate and talking with several people, I've finally decided that I don't really like Martha that much. I liked her to begin with, she was okay in ep 1, but then she just got annoying. Donna's really funny, and Rose is _Rose._ But Martha's just...I don't like her. She's still gonna be in episode six, which is the episode that's gonna RAWK. Let's hope she isn't too involved in that one. That's the Doctor's episode. He's been a bit pushed aside this series at the moment / It's all Donna, Donna, Donna and the return of Martha, Martha, Martha he's not really been in it much as a fully fledged character...

* * *

Chapter 4 – Out-Of-Body, Out-Of-Mind

"Everyone _stand back!" _the fireman demanded, "go back to your homes!"

Understandably, people backed up but they didn't return to their homes. The fireman looked down at his co-workers tending to the woman hyperventilating on the ground.

"My daughter!" she was gasping behind the oxygen mask, "my daughter and her friend, they're both in there!"

"Don't worry, we'll get them out ma'am," a voice said, and Jackie turned to find a man standing there, not dressed in a fireman's outfit.

"It's been ten minutes…" she carried on, "he went in to save her but…"

He shushed her quickly. "We'll find them ma'am, no matter what it takes."

* * *

_Doctor._

He blinked, startled at the voice again.

_Concentrate on my voice._

He did, unable to do anything else.

_Numb all the pain._

Suddenly his hands stopped burning, his lungs were no longer filled with fumes, the pain of the wall crushing him diminished and stopped burning.

_Envision yourself getting up and picking up Rose, and then taking her out again._

He closed his eyes, imagining, and willing with all of his hearts that the words would come true.

Then it happened. Suddenly, he was no longer in his body. He was a separate entity, numb to the pain, the searing heat and the smoke-filled air around him. He couldn't even feel the weight of the collapse, so he pulled himself out from under the rubble and stepped forward, into the flames that caged Rose.

He felt nothing.

He turned back, seeing his own self still lying there, crushed and now looking unconscious. This…couldn't be real…surely? This was one _major _out-of-body experience. He turned back to Rose, already knowing his task as he advanced towards her, kneeling down and reaching out to her. Wait, could he touch? Apparently so, as his hand rested on her shoulder. She looked so weak, so fragile. So helpless. If it was the last thing he ever did, he would save her.

_Wake her up._

"Rose, wake up!" he obeyed the voice, shaking her a little by the shoulder. "Rose, wake up for me?" She groaned slightly as he cradled her head, surveying her over for damage. "That's it! C'mon! Gimme a smile!"

"D…Doc…c…t…tor…" she kept coughing between the syllables, but her expression said it all. He grinned inanely at her, brushing back her hair from her dirty face.

_Time's running out…_

"Shush, don't talk," he said gently to Rose, stroking her cheek before raising his voice above the roaring fire, "we need to get out of here!"

She nodded, reaching up to hold onto his neck as he lifted her in both arms. She cried out as he turned around, beginning to walk to the flames whilst holding her high above them.

"Rose it's okay, I won't get burnt! I promise!" he said quickly into her ear and she fell silent. The same as before, no pain came when he stepped through the wall to his other self. "Something happened Rose, I got gave me a second chance to save you!" he explained, knowing they were running out of time as he set her carefully down on the floor. "We haven't got long! I need to get my body out from under this, so when I lift it you need to pull me out! Okay?"

She nodded again, reaching out to his real body and cradling it in both arms. The Doctor stepped back to the collapse, sliding his arms under the burning wooden beam crushing his real self and gritted his teeth, lifting it up. Rose used the last of her strength to pull his body free, before finally falling to the floor, coughing.

_Envision yourself merging with your real form, getting up and getting Rose out of here._

The Doctor dropped the wood and turned back to Rose.

"Hold on Rose, just a bit longer...!" the Doctor said, closing his eyes. "Need to get back to my own body…"

He envisioned exact what the voice had wanted. He didn't feel anything happen, but next thing he knew he was lying on the floor, all the pains he had previously been numb to suddenly flooding back.

He turned and clambered onto his feet, unable to stop the coughing fit he launched into.

"Rose!" he yelled between coughs, kneeling down next to her to scoop her up in both arms with pains shooting through his chest. "Rose stay with me!"

He got up and made his way over the collapsed rubble and through the hole created in the wall. He was well aware of the searing heat around his feet, but he could only concentrate in getting Rose out. No way was she going to die like this.

The flat was almost completely consumed now, but he somehow managed to navigate a way back through. The fire was lightly burning his skin now so he forced onwards, through the last door and towards the window. He could see figures outside – firemen? How long had he been? He could see the light of the window…just a bit more…just a bit…

With the last of his energy he ducked his head outside, manoeuvring his way out onto the balcony with Rose still in his arms, someone helping him to clamber out.

He was immediately overwhelmed by the cold westerly wind, almost making his burns worse. He collapsed to his knees, coughing and sputtering on the ground. He could hear shouts of concern and cheering underlying that, as well as the roaring fire and the constant wailing sirens. Someone was trying to take Rose from him and although he knew they just wanted to help he kept a firm, protective grip on her.

Finally he lost all his strength, resting Rose on the ground before he collapsed next to her, knowing he was going to pass out. She was still awake, staring ahead at him whilst lying on the floor, coughing as he was. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She reached out towards him, cupping his hand. He squeezed hers gently. He could hear the shrieks of a hysterical Jackie but they were too far away for him to make sense of. Probably something to do with pork pies, he thought tiredly.

Someone turned him over, pressing an oxygen mask to his face. Wait, no. If humans treated him they'd find…something…something that he couldn't remember, but it was important. He knew he had to stop it somehow.

"UNIT," he managed to state, knowing the word was vital in this situation yet he couldn't quite remember what it meant. "UNIT…"

Consciousness was a far-off distant land he wasn't allowed to trek, but all the same, he forced open his eyes, blurry figures hovering over him. He blinked a few times, wishing they'd have the courtesy to be in focus.

"Rose," he croaked, feeling himself being pulled away from her. "Rose…"

"She's in good hands," a voice said. It wasn't incredibly reassuring. Concerned, the Doctor pushed himself up from where he was lying and reached in her vague direction, trying to find her. He was immediately pulled back, but he was far too weak to put up a fight. Maybe Rose was the one lifting him in the air now…

"Don't worry Doctor," a familiar voice said in the swirling world around him. He wondered who it could be. "I'll get you to safety."

Then the world went black.


	5. Remember Kids, Don’t Play With Fire

**A/N: **How brilliant was that bit in The Poison Sky, eh? The bit which I can't mention because of the poor non-British folk so many weeks behind us who don't have torrents (wink, wink). I've been looking forward to episode six for MONTHS now! I actually can't wait for Saturday, but I bet I'll go and do something stupid now like fall off a cliff and NEVER GET TO SEE IT!

* * *

Chapter 5 – Remember Kids, Don't Play With Fire

Rose woke up in a moving vehicle.

She moaned a little, opening her eyes and blinking a few times to focus her vision. A man was standing over her, grinning.

"Doctor?" she asked, her voice muffled. She could feel her breath catching in her throat – she coughed. The figure shook their head.

"Nah sorry Rose, only me." Then the figure turned and addressed someone else, "hey, can we hurry this up a bit? UNIT priority!"

"Yessir!"

The figure turned back. "Don't worry," he kissed her on the forehead. "You and the Doc are both safe."

"Jack!" she finally realised. "What…" she launched into a coughing fit, and Jack quickly adjusted the mask on her face, ordering whoever was next to him to turn up the oxygen.

"Sweetheart I'm here, it's okay," another voice said as the coughing came to an end.

"Mum," she murmured, "mum how's the…" – she breathed in deeply – "…Doctor?"

"He's fine sweetheart, he's right here," Jackie said, moving slightly so Rose could see the man in question lying on the other side of the ambulance, skin partially red in some places with heavily bandaged hands. He was covered in dirt and an oxygen mask was also placed over his mouth. Currently a paramedic was tending to his ribs, where dark bruises covered his skin. That must be where…

"…The wall fell on him," Rose muttered. "Oh Doctor, I'm so sorry…"

"He's gonna be fine Rose, and so are you," Jack assured her, brushing back her hair. "I'm not ready to lose you yet. We're on UNIT priority. That means no one'll scream 'bout the Doc being an alien and we'll get transported to their headquarters once the Royal Hope clean you up."

Rose nodded. "Thank you, Jack. Look after him."

She fell asleep.

* * *

"Really Doctor, did your mommy never teach you not to play with fire?" came the American banter as the world came back to focus once more. The Doctor opened his eyes, looking left at the man sitting next to him.

"I think once. But I wasn't listening," the Doctor answered nonchalantly. "I don't think I was very attentive as a child."

"I don't think you're very attentive as an adult, either," Captain Jack Harkness remarked, giving him a grin. The Doctor shrugged. He quickly checked himself over – still brown haired, brown eyes, tall and thin…mole between shoulder blades…he hadn't regenerated. He lifted his hands up to his face, seeing them encased in reels and reels of bandages. Several flashbacks instantly leapt to mind.

"Where's Rose?" he asked instantly, the vision of her lying next to him on the concrete imprinted in his mind. "Is she okay?" He coughed.

"Ain't you gonna ask me how I found you? Where you are? How I've been? What I've been doing? How I got back to Earth?"

"No," the Doctor answered straight, trying to work out a way to get out of the bed without hurting his hands. "Where's Rose?" He coughed again. "I wanna see her."

"And there's no point in telling you to get back into bed?"

"No," the Doctor answered again already moving towards the door, leaning towards his bad side. "Through this door then?"

Jack sighed, getting up and following him out. "Rose's mom is gonna freak out over you getting up."

"Yeah well she's not my mum so…" – cough – "…I'm not too worried about the concept," he said, pausing for a moment before adding, "…ish."

He turned left, following the plain white corridor along for a bit whilst hoping it was correct. Jack didn't seem to be stopping him at any rate. He kicked open the wooden door at the end of the corridor, before hanging a right and kicking through another door into a leisure area. Two people turned from the sofa to stare at him, and the Doctor beamed.

"Am I good or am I _good?" _the Doctor declared, looking back over to Jack for a moment before turning back around to Rose and Jackie. Jackie was staring at him as though he'd just smashed her window with his football.

"What the 'ell are _you _doin' up?!" she wanted to know, infuriated. The Doctor gave her his best puppy-eyed expression.

"I wanted to see Rose," he said, turning to the girl in question. She beamed, getting up off of the sofa and running across the room, throwing her arms around him.

"You…" – cough – "…saved my life…again." She tightened her hug, but not tight enough to hurt him. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "Well if I didn't your mother would've killed me."

She laughed, pulling away and taking his arm before leading him towards the sofa. She unnecessarily helped him to sit down, before taking his hands and examining them over. "Do they…" – cough – "…hurt?"

The Doctor paused before giving a little shrug, trying to seem manly. "Oh, y'know. I can bear it."

"…And you've just become a human," Jack said with a sigh.

"Stop acting macho and tell me the truth," Rose said with an exasperated roll of the eyes, fixing him with a hard stare. The Doctor crippled.

"It huuuuurts Rose!" he burst out in a moan, holding his bandage-clad hands to his chest and whimpering loudly, leaning forward into Rose. "I _really _don't like fire!"

"Neither me." Rose rubbed his back gently. "I can't stop…" – cough – "…coughing!"

"But you're both safe, that's what matters," Jack said with a nod. "That fire wasn't far off killin' ya."

"What started it?" Jackie asked suddenly, bringing all attention back to her.

Jack breathed in, glancing over the Doctor, Rose and Jackie before answering, "accidental. Seems you had a leak right on a plug."

"That's unlucky," Rose commented. The Doctor shot her a glare.

"We almost died three times between us…" – cough – "…in one day and you call that 'unlucky'?"

"If it wasn't for those premonition things…" Rose tailed off, looking into the Doctor's eyes. He nodded.

"We would both be dead."

"Premonitions? What happened?" Jack asked, confused. The Doctor explained, telling the tale from when he heard the voice warning about the vase to the moment he got back into his real body in the fire. Jack's eyes were wide. "What d'you reckon it was?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said with a sigh.

"It was like somethin' was watchin' us durin' the whole of that day. They spoke to you inside your head, made me dream the future, helped you in the fire…" Rose surmised. "Come on. It has to be the good ghosts on Hallowe'en, protecting us from the bad ghosts."

The Doctor smiled in pity at her, feeling sorry for her childish logic. "No such thing, Rose. I guess we'll never know." He drew her close in a tight hug. "But the last thing I wanna do is lose you. I just hope your 'good ghosts' don't have to come back again soon."

* * *

Somewhere in the UNIT HQ in a guarded room stood the TARDIS, waiting patiently for her pilot to recover and come back to her, taking him and his human companions back out to the stars once more for adventures everlasting.

But she'd always protect them, no matter what. She just hoped her 'good ghosts' won't have to come back again either.

After all, the last thing she wanted to do was lose them.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: **Eh, draw your own conclusions. What a completely randomly spur of the moment 'let's-burn-the-Doctor' fic. Won't you all be just so gripped when I post a Ramble the Fourth. Ooo. Let's call it that. Maybe. Dunno. Not sure. Do I even do it? Ugh, don't you HATE these kind of decisions?

BRING ON EPISODE SIX! This week is probably going to be even slower than the week leading up to the premiere of VotD...


End file.
